Valve



J. AsHwoRTH Qop. c

Inventor. Jol'wh Ash wort h',

His Attorney.

' Nov. 14, 1939.

Patented Nov. 14, .1939

UNITI-:D STATES PATENT OFI-frcs K valves for facilitating the opening thereof againstv f l y 'LVALVE y .101m Ashworth. sc'enciaay. N. Y., assigner to General Electiof-Uornpany, a corporation -of 1 New York 1 Application August l31,*"19s, serial No. 227,743'

" 13 chime, (c1. 277-37):

' This invention relates to valves and more par-1 ticularly to valves of the so-calledbalanced or semi-balanced types. Although'not necessarily limited thereto, the arrangement is particularly if? adaptable to valves having convexly curved seats and disks for use in high. pressure elastic 'fluid conduit systems.

Generally, valves used in steam conduit systems. and the like are provided with auxiliary pilot relatively high pressures'. Upon the opening ,ofy the pilot valve, the major portion of the valve' disk areais unloaded leavingv the valve disk only. very slightly loaded or unbalanced in the closed.` direction. The valve disk may then be opened readily. by the operating mechanism with a rela'- tively small motor or manually.

f In valves having convexly curved seats and disks, such as Venturi and ball type valves, 'the diameter of the throttling orifice varies in acbalanced condition thereof this type designed for relatively low poweropen# ing is frequently unstable in they opened position. and the disk is likely to vibrate excessively 'ora hammer upon the operating stem.

It is an object of this invention to provide .a new and improved valve for use in high pressure systems which is relatively easy vto operate, the valvedisk of which lis maintained in a stabilized condition throughout its various positions' of ad;- lustment. 'i

It is a further object of thisiinventionto rpro-e.

vide a new and improved high pressure fvalvef having means for .impressing a compensating load Vupon the valve diskas it is movedator the opened position so as to preclude thefunloading or the reversal of the loading thereof.`

Fora consideration of what I believe tobe.

novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims-appended thereto taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is 'a 'cross-sectionalview of a valve embodying my invention; Figs. 2, f3 and 4 are fragmentary cross-sectional views showing the valve disk in various positions of adjustment with respect to the cooperating seat;

and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary.cross-sectional View of a valve illustrating a modification ofthe in-y j Vention.

theV disk' and. seat" are'of a low loss convexly curved conguration shown in this instance as being of the well-known Venturi design; The f valve disk is adapted to be operated by means of a stem I5 slidably arranged in bushings IIr and 5-V A II and extending to a suitableV operating motor (notshown) mounted within the lower `casing part I8. The lower valve chamber I9 is provided with a usual water drain connection 20 and a steamleakeoffxpassage 2|.4 A cylindrical screen 22-"is provided withinfthe :upper valve chamber 23 to vprotect the cooperating valveparts from any foreign `matter which might nd its way into the system.y The cover plate 24 secured onto thecasin'g las by bolts 25 is. provided with a cylindrical vportion or valve head 26 depending downwardly `therefrom' land 'in alignment with thecooperating valve parts I3 and. I4. The lower portion Vofthe valve head'26 'is provided with a plurality ofpacking rings 2'I forv engaging with the inner walls of the balancing cylinder 28.` extending upwardly from the periphery of the valve diskk I3. The operatingstem I5 extends upwardl-` ly through the opening 29 inthe'apex of the valve disk cone 30", throughthe bearingySI in the valve disk frame portion 32, the upper end of thefoperatingl stemsbeing slidably arranged within the bore 33 centrally disposed in the lower end of the valve head 26."v AThe auxiliary pilot valve `3d, 'fixedon thefoperating stem, isf/adapted to'seat upon '30 and close the opening '29V in accordance with the position of adjustment of the stem. Openings 35 'are'l provided'` through the valve disk frame portion 32 allowing communication between the balancing cylinder and theopening 2 9. 35 Y v`The valve arrangement thus far described'is of a forinwelllknown.. in. `the* art, the operation of which will be described as'follows: Referring, to Fig.` 2, the valve isfshown in its closed position with the disk I3 .restingjupon the seat I4 and 40; with the auxiliarypilot valve 3 4 closing the opening 29.l Assume that. a pressure P1 exists on the inletiside, of the valve which, for'example, may be ofthe order of 1200,pounds per square inch andthat a pressure Pzexists on' the outlet side ofthe valve which during the closed position thereofV will be substantially zero. 'I'he pressure P1 actsuponthe valve disk to -force it downwardly throughout the area of the. disk indicated by the diameter A. It is understood, or course, `that while the packing rings 2I between the balancingcylinder v23and the valve head 26. are closely fitted,af-certainamount of steam leakage lthc-:frepastrwillw occur during the'- closed position Q .fihavalve @that,thefpressurgin the balancing cylinder will become substantially equal to the pressure P1. Leakage of steam will also occur past the upper end of the operating stem I5 and into the bore 33 so that the entire upper surface of the valve disk represented by its outer diameter A will be subjected to the downward force of the pressure P1. Because of the curved surfaces of the .lower portion of the valve disk I3 and the cooperating valve seat Id, the diameter diameter D of the balancing cylinder.

sition shown the differential area A--E is largerV than the diierential area A--D and the valve disk" is unbalanced in the upward direction by the re-` of contact B is somewhat smaller than the outside diameter A of the valve disk. The effective area, then, subjected to the'closing pressure of the steam is that indicated by the diameter Bj.

because the steam pressure acting uponl the curved lower edge-of the disk outside the cir cumference of contact exerts a force in opposition to that acting downwardly on the disk. To open the valve, the stem I5 is first moved upwardly to some position as indicated in Fig.

The pilot valve may be readily opened by a relaA tively small force,.since it is held closed by the steam pressure P1 acting only upon its area indicated by C. With the pilot valve 34 moved from its cooperating seat the pressure within `the balancing cylinder will leak off through the outlet 29. The leakage of steam past the packing rings 2l will be so slight as tobe ineiective in building up any appreciable pressure within the balancing cylinder because of the relatively large opening '29. The area of the. balancingcylinder indicated by the diameter D will thus be unloaded while the valvedisk will be loaded in the closed'direction by the pressure P1 acting only upon the differential area B-D. This area may be made-as small as desired by making the inner' diameter of the balancing cylinder just slightly smaller than the diameter of contactB of the valve disk. With thevalve disk thus being held in the closed position by a relatively small force,'it may be readily lifted to the opened positionlshown in' Fig.` 4 with a relatively small 'effortrapplied to the operating stem I5. As the stem I5 is moved upwardly, the upper surface of the auxliary pilot valve collar 34 engages with the valve disk frame l portion 32 to carry'the disk to the desired opened position. f a

With reference to Fig.. 4,it will be noted that, as the valve disk is moved upwardly,.due to the curved valve surfaces, the throttling orifice dimin-` ishes in diameter as regards the valvedisk. By

sultant force of the pressure P1'A acting uponthe differential area D-E. This resultant force acting upwardly on the disk tends to close the opening 29 by moving thedisk'intoengag'ement with the valve 34. The interior of fthevalve includingl the balancing cylinder will closeoi as regards the pressure P2 and the pressure will build up-within 'theinterior of thevalve due to leakage past the packing rings 2l until it approaches the pressure P1. Upon some predetermined pressure building up within thevbalancing cylinder,the disk will be moved downwardly to "reopen thev auxiliary ypilot 4diameter of the balancing cylinder.

valve. As soon as the pressure decreases within the valve disk below a predetermined value, the disk will again be moved upwardly and so on, causing the valve disk to oscillate or hammer at some frequency depending upon the various mechanical constants.

Such instability of the valve disk during the opened position may be avoided, of course, by so designing the valve that'thel throttling orifice will never 'decrease to a value less than thev internal This, however, cannot be done without leaving a rather -large area of the valve disk loaded with the pressure P1 after thepilot valve is opened. The instability of the valve in the opened position, as

described, is inherent if the valve is closely bal- I the'valve head 2B. These pins are so aligned with respect to the holes or openings 35 and are of such size as to substantially close the openings when thevalve disk is moved to a predetermined opened position. The pins 4I are uted at the lower vends thereof,` as indicated at 42, 'for maintaining the disk in a predetermined centered position while allo-wing free communication between `the balancing cylinder and the opening 29 when the auxiliary pilot valve is initially opened. As shown in Fig. 4, when the valve disk is moved to the opened position, the solidupper portion of the pins 4I projects into the openings=30 so' as to substantially shut off communication between the balancing cylinder and the, opening 29. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the pressure leaking past the packing rings 21 will build up within the balancing 'cylinder to unbalance the disk in the downward direction.v 'Ihe area thus subjected to thev pressure P1 acting downwardly upon the valve is considerably in excess ofthe pressure acting upwardly upon the valve vdisk so Vthe `disk is unbalanced in the downward direction.y Accordingly, the closing of the pilot valve during vthe opened positions of the valve disk is precluded due to the unbalance of pressureacting thereon in the' downward direction. By suitably adjusting the clearance between the pins 4I and the openings 35 y'so that a certain leakage therepast may be had, the resultant downward forcev can be regulated'as desired. By suitably tapering the shoulders 43 of the pins, the effectiveness thereof may be graduated inaccordance with the shifting of the throttling orificeduringthe opening movements of the valve disk.

.By .the arrangement described, the valve disk is stable in all positions `ofv adjustment since it is continuously biased downwardly. In allppened positions the disk frame portion 32 is maintained seated upon the shoulder of :the valve collar 34. Vibration or hammering of theidisk upon the stem is precluded -while the pins lll projecting into the openings 35"'further preclude `spinning of the disk upon the stem which also occurs with harmful results in valves according to the previous practice.

If the valve is lto beused for throttling purposes, it is requiredthat the valve disk be biased downwardly, as by the arrangementfdescribed above,l

in order that it will follow the movements of the stem I5 in the various positionsof adjustment. If, however, the valve is tobe used as a two position stop valve in a system of substantiallylconstant fluid flow', it is not necessary that the disk ride upon the st em I5 during the opened condition of thevalve. 'Ihe-upwardunbalanceof pressure acting Yon -'the disk caused bythe decrease in the 2;*-1 850,1 8'8" A diameter E of the throttling oricemay be utilized for retaining the disk inthe full open position. According to Fig. 5, the pins 44 are fluted for substantially their full exposed length and provided with shoulders 45 which act as stops for thedisk holding it in such a position that the auxiliary pilot valve will not seat. The iiuid leaking past the packing rings 21 will drain through the openings 35 and the opening 29 and the disk will be retained in the uppermost position by the pressure P1 acting upon the area D`-E.

Having described the principle of operation of my invention together withthe apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a valve having a seat, and a balancing cylinder, a disk, the throttling orice of which decreases progressively in diameter with respect to the diameter of said disk from a value greater than the diameter of said balancing cylinder to a value less than the diameter of said balancing cylinder as the valve disk is moved to the opened position, the combination comprising means for causing the unloading of a portion of the upper area of said disk preparatory to moving said disk to the open position, and means for subsequently eiecting the loading of a portion of the upper area of said disk as said disk is moved to a predetermined opened position.

2. In a valve having a convexly curved seat, a convexly curved cooperating disk, and a balancing cylinder, the throttling orice between said seat and said disk decreasing progressively in diameter from a value greater than the diameter of said balancing cylinder to a value less than the diameter of said balancing cylinder as said disk is moved to the opened position, the combination comprising means for eiecting the unloading of a portion of the upper area of said disk preparatory to opening of said valve, and means effecting progressively an increase of the loading of said disk, as it is moved to the wide opened position,

3. A valve comprising a casing part having a convexly curved valve seat therein, a convexly curved disk part, a balancing cylinder extending from one of said parts and a head secured to the other part for extending into said cylinder, a pilot valve in said disk part for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk part between said cylinder and said pilot valve, valve means secured to said casing part for controlling said openings in accordance with a predetermined opened position of said disk part.

4. A valve comprising a casing part having a convexly curved valve seat therein, a convexly curved valve disk part, an operating stem for said disk part, a cylinder extending from one of said parts toward the other of said parts, a head secured to the other of said parts and cooperatively extending into said cylinder, a pilot valve in said disk part and operable by said stem for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk part between said cylinder and said pilot valve, valve means secured to said casing part for substantially closing said openings in a predetermined opened position of said valve disk part.

5. In a valve having a seat and a cooperating disk, the contacting surfaces thereof being convexly curved, the combination comprising means for operating said disk, means including a pilot said disk for keffecting the unloading of' a portion of said disk, said balancing-cylinder having ai position whereby said disk will be forced to itsA uppermost position of travel with respect tosaid seat by the fluid flowing therethrough after it has been mechanically movedto a predetermined open postion, and means for precluding the closure of said pilot valve during a predetermined opened position of said disk.

6. In a valve having a casing, a convexly curved valve seat and a convexly curved cooperating disk, the combination comprising a cooperating balancing cylinder and a head slidably arranged within said cylinder, said cylinder and said head arranged between said disk and said casing, the inner diameter of said cylinder being less vthan the seating diameter of said disk and greater than the diameter of the throttling area of said disk in the opened position of said valve, a pilot valve associated with said disk for effecting the unloading of said balancing cylinder preparatory to opening said valve, and means for precluding the closure of said pilot valve upon said valve disk being moved to the opened position.

'7. A valve having a casing, a Valve seat in said casing, a valve disk, the contacting surfaces of said seat and disk being convexly curved, an operating stem for said disk, said disk having a b-alancing cylinder extending from the upper portion thereof, a valve head secured to said casing and depending downwardly into said cylinder, a pilot valve associated with said stem for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk between said cylinder and the pilot valve, valve means depending from said valve head and aligned with said openings for substantially closing said openings in a predetermined opened position of said valve disk.

8. A valve comprising a casing, a valve seat in said casing, a valve disk for cooperating with said seat, the contacting surfaces of said seat and disk being convexly curved, operating means for said disk, said disk having a cylinder extending upwardly therefrom, a valve head secured to said casing and depending downwardly into and in close cooperation with said cylinder, a pilot valve in said disk for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk between said cylinder and said pilot valve and abalancing'cylinder associated l.with

valve, valve means for substantially closing said openings in a predetermined opened position of said valve disk.

9. In a Venturi type valve, a casing, a valve seat in said casing, a valve disk for cooperating with said seat, an operating stem for said disk, said disk having a balancing cylinder extending from the upper surface thereof, a head secured to said casing and extending downwardly into said cylinder, a pilot valve operatively associated with said stem in said valve disk for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk between said cylinder and said pilot valve, pins depending from said valve head and projecting into said openings for substantially closing said openings in a predetermined opened position of said valve disk.

l0. A Venturi type valve comprising a casing, a valve seat in said casing, a valve disk for coo-perating with said seat, an operating stem for said disk, a balancing cylinder extending upwardly from said disk, a valve head secured to said casing and depending downwardly intol and in close cooperation with said cylinder, a pilot valve in said disk for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk between said cylinder and said pilot valve, means for substantially closing said openings in a predetermined opened position of said disk.

11. In a valve having a seat and a cooperating disk, the contacting surfaces thereof being con- Vexly curved, the combination comprising means for operating said disk, means including a pilot Valve and a balancing cylinder associated with said disk for effecting the unloading of a portion of said disk, said balancing cylinder having a diameter less than the seating diameter of said disk and greater than the diameter of the throttling orice in the fully opened position of said valve, and means for cooperating with said disk upon a predetermined opening movement thereof to preclude the closure of said pilot valve by the force of the Huid flowing through said valve.

12. A valve comprising a casing part having a convexly curved Valve seat therein, a convexly curved valve disk part for cooperating with said seat, an operating stem for said disk part, a cylinder extending from one of said parts toward the other of said parts, a head secured to the other of said parts and cooperatively extending into said cylinder, a pilot valve in said disk part and operable by said stem for unloading said cylinder, openings in said disk part between said cylinder and said pilot valve, and means arranged in said openings providing a stop for limiting the opening movement of said valve disk to preclude the closure of said pilot valve upon a predetermined valve opening movement of said operating stem.

13. A valve having a casing, a Valve seat in said casing, a valve disk, the contacting surfaces of said seat and disk being convexly curved, an operating stem for said disk, said disk having a balancing cylinder extending from the upper portion thereof, said balancing cylinder having a diameter less than the seating diameter of said disk and greater than the throttling orice of said Valve in the fully opened position, a head iiXed with respect to said casing and depending into said cylinder, a pilot valve in said disk operable by said stem for unloading said cylinder, an opening in said disk between said cylinder and said pilot valve, and stop means for limiting the opening movement of said valve disk for precluding closure of said pilot valve upon a predetermined opening movement of said operating stem.

JOHN ASHWORTH.

CERTIF'CATE OF CORREOT1011.Y Patent No. 2,180,188.l y November 111, 1959.

. JOHN ASHWORTH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above nuznberecipatent requiring; correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line L15, for "auxlary" read auxiliary; nage, first column, line 2l, claim l, strike out'the words and comma "a disk," and insert the same before "and", line 20, same claim; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction 4thereinthat the same may conform to the `record of the oase in the Patent Office. i

Signed and sealed this day of January,l A. D. 191m.'

y Henry Van Arsdale, (Sealj' Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

